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Community Corner

Funday Monday

Senior citizens enjoy Funday Monday, a weekly event at North Hempstead Beach Park.

The weekly North Hempstead Beach Park summer institution of Funday Monday is well rehearsed, and through each theme the choreography runs smoothly. August 2's Fiesta was no exception. Within the first hour, senior citizens from Port Washington, Great Neck, and elsewhere arrived on yellow school buses, descending in orderly fashion, some stepping with walkers, others led by younger attendants.

Between 500 and 700 senior citizens attend the eight or nine Funday Mondays held each summer, estimates Kimberly Corcoran-Galante, the commissioner for community services for the town of North Hempstead. Add to that count the multigenerational volunteers and interns in sombreros and the disabled individuals the event welcomes to enjoy dancing, music and socializing by the shore.

"Generally, it's always been a program where anyone can attend," said Sid Nathan, a public information officer for the Town of North Hempstead.

Participants stake out their seats under the shade—a man with a fading tattoo on his forearm considered his hand in a card game, and a woman in black buckled shoes passed him as she moved a table, spreading her own tablecloth underneath a small, flowered centerpiece.

Mary Egan, a retired widow from Great Neck, said the wonderful air and new acquaintances make Funday Mondays worth the carpool with longtime friend Terry Hogan.

"I keep coming back because it's delightful," said Egan, who added that she's been attending Funday Mondays for "years and years."

On the dance floor the dancing paused, respectfully and expectantly, for a recording of the national anthem. Even those who did not stand, the ones sitting between pillars adorned by chili peppers and cacti, seemed suspended in patriotic thought. They returned to life after applauding: An impromptu kick-line quickly formed to the tune of "New York, New York," seemingly choreographed by a sashaying, snapping spectator in black capris balancing a cupcake and a piece of fruit. An official dance instructor eventually stepped in, vocalizing salsa spins.

"Dances like this, you need a partner—you can't fake it," said Viola Myers, 80, as she watched the lesson. Myers said she has line danced at Funday Mondays for about 20 years.

Dance instructor on break, two women danced to the beckoning beats of a three-piece band. The instruments' harmonies emerged and blended, drawing more pairs onto the floor. One musician mingled with the dancers, serenading them with his long, golden horn as light breezes ruffled banners of purple and red, blue and green.

With wishes for continued calm weather, Corcoran-Galante said the program should go on as planned for the next four weeks. August 9, for example, will mark "Health Week" with free blood pressure and cataract check-ups.

Because other senior groups don't typically meet during the summer, Corcoran-Galante explained that attendants consider Funday Mondays a kind of weekly reunion, and opportunity to enjoy the beach with friends.

"Seniors want to have fun and not just be sitting in a chair," she stressed.

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